Let there be light

Nov 07, 2010 Editorial

The motorcades with their fantastically lighted displays have been rewarded their prizes; the resplendent, youthful “Mother Lakshmis” are back in their everyday clothes; the (favoured) politicians have bonded with the faithful and most of the sweetmeats have been shared and consumed.
On Friday night, the longest and darkest night of the year, some diyas were lit but were overwhelmed by the “fairy lights” that are now obligatory. It is possible that some celebrants might have even offered prayers in their homes and mandirs. We have celebrated another Guyanese Diwali.
It is commonplace to observe that, paradoxically, change is a constant in human affairs. How could it be otherwise? In our daily lives, we are constantly faced with new challenges and it’s either we adapt or perish – it’s as simple as that. Diwali was an ancient festival brought by the Hindus to this land when they were dragged across the oceans from India to provide cheap labour on the sugar plantations.
Their new living conditions were certainly different from those they had left in India – barrack-style housing, men, women and children in the fields from dawn to dusk – six days a week – and it must have been a struggle to observe the festival. But observe it they did. Some may wonder “How?” but the more interesting question is “Why?”
Institutions – and festivals are ultimately institutions – survive only if the values around which they are organised remain relevant to the participants. Diwali originated in pre-historic India as its ancient inhabitants fearfully observed the life-giving sunshine decreasing with every passing night. Lights had to be lit earlier and earlier.
At a time when it was believed that human activity could influence natural processes, the collective lighting of fires by the community on the longest night of the year was believed to assist in turning back the tide of darkness, so to speak.
That aspect of the Divine that gave light – Mother Lakshmi – must be propitiated for the physical darkness to be removed. To an agrarian civilization, it was not by accident that the Goddess of Light was also the Goddess of wealth: without light, what plant can produce food?
As time passed and conditions changed, periods of misfortune, hardship and inequity – both physically and morally – became symbolised as “times of darkness”.
Diwali took on its predominant and enduring meaning – the stricture that it was only through human intervention a world that has gone wrong may be righted. And only through collective societal intervention would societal problems be resolved.
As time marched on Diwali inevitably became linked with other events that occurred (whether by happenstance or otherwise) on its night of commemoration. These commemorated events, we should note, all have to do with the theme of taking action against the spread of unrighteousness.
The famous return of Sri Ram to his native city on Diwali night, for instance, came after he had sallied forth to defeat Rawan who had kidnapped his wife.
The question for Hindus in Guyana today is whether this central value of Diwali has not become veiled in the gradual and inexorable commercialisation of the festival by well-meaning devotees.
Whether we like it or not, we are living in a world that is dominated by the values of the west, whose god has become Mammon. But this does not mean that we have to roll over and play dead.
Even the west has of recent recognised to its chagrin that the pursuit of wealth, bereft of any morality, has led it into a dead end.
Here in Guyana, only the morally blind would argue that we do not have some darkness that needs to be removed for us to live more fruitful and fulfilling lives.
Maybe we need prizes to encourage Hindus and their mandirs to create “floats” of Mother Lakshmi, but is it not maybe even more necessary to award prizes to Hindus that have in the past year done exemplary work to right some wrong or other that had gripped our society? Let there be the light of moral deeds.

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Let there be light

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